Ten years ago I gave English lessons to a German entrepreneur in Berlin, who had set up a successful energy company specialising in the supply and construction of wind turbines. I remember asking her if she had plans to expand the business in Ireland. “If we could promote this form of energy in Ireland,” she told me, “we could almost double our business. But I don’t think your Government has really shown interest in this possibility.”
She was right. The Irish Government was, as usual, doing its best to avoid the winds of change. Its chief interests included urban sprawl, environmental and heritage destruction and the sale of our national resources.
But in these morose times, it comes as a relief to find out that something positive and uniquely progressive could still happen in Ireland. A new think tank, Spirit of Ireland, was set up six months ago to explore the potential of wind energy in this country.
The growth of the wind energy industry here has always been hampered by the problem of fluctuations in wind intensity and the storage of the energy. What happens when there is little wind? The Spirit of Ireland project has come up with a compelling solution.
The key lies in Ireland’s unique geography. A Russian by the name of Igor Shvets, a professor of physics in Trinity College Dublin, has pointed out that Ireland abounds in impervious valleys which are contiguous to the ocean. If the Spirit of Ireland project is implemented, these valleys will be dammed and hydro-storage reservoirs will be built, storing water that can be used for electricity generation when the wind is down. Simple, really.
Ireland currently ranks 16th in the world in terms of wind energy production, and ninth in the European Union. But according to the Spirit of Ireland project, Ireland’s unique geology, geography and marine environment have not been adequately exploited. Ireland could become a world leader in the wind power industry, exporting energy to other countries and saving billions in national energy expenditure every year.
The Spirit of Ireland project’s aims are to create tens of thousands of jobs and achieve energy independence in five years, as well as saving €30bn by reducing the importation of fossil fuels, thereby effecting a radical reduction in the country’s carbon dioxide emissions. The project includes many financial experts who estimate that a fully developed national wind energy project would add €50bn to the economy. Perhaps therein lies the solution to our soaring trade deficit, which could yet reach the €50bn mark.
This is an innovative and progressive idea. But national progress requires intelligent governance. And there’s the rub! According to the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), wind energy accounted for over 43 percent of all new energy generating capacity in the EU last year. Ireland is currently lagging far behind this target.
So if the Government insists on introducing its silly blasphemy laws, perhaps it should consider giving a ‘special’ protection to old Aeolus, the Greek god of the wind, or Danu, the Celtic god of wind, wisdom and fertility. Who knows? It could yet transpire that the answer to our economic mess is blowing in the wind.
For a breath of fresh air (sorry, I couldn’t resist), visit www.spiritofireland.org
metrogael.blogspot.com / gaelmetro@yahoo.ie
